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Below the Line: On Feb. 15 at the Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios lot, when special honoree Johnny Depp acknowledged three craftspeople key to his ascension as a motion-picture star, he noted that they were equal partners in the creation of his greatest screen work.
I hadn't thought before about the importance of makeup to helping performers themselves. I assumed that makeup wasn't being replaced yet by CGI partly because it is easier than digitally editing every scene, but I didn't ever think about how essential it is for character interaction for the characters to look how they will look on the final screen. It's like how it's more difficult for actors to interact with a CGI animal- they might be able to do it, but it's easier if they have something to look at. I'm glad that this art isn't so easily replaced by technology, and I hope it continues to be appreciated for a long time.
This is a really great article because honestly when I see a movie with Johnny Depp or other character actors I do pay keen attention to their makeup and the creature or person the actor, artists, and director have created. Edward Scissor hands is a great example of how the makeup must have been such a key component to getting Depp into the role. The pale face with scars and dark sunken eyes gave Edward the delicate features that make him seem like a sweet and innocent individual.
I, like Sarah, had not though about how makeup could change an actor's experience. For me, it was a way of them becoming the character so that I could see them as the character and not the actor. Though I will admit, that when I have not only worked with actors, but also dressed up myself, I have found that the wardrobe and makeup can completely transform the wearer. Seeing oneself as the character can make all the difference in how a character is portrayed. I think Johnny Depp is a perfect example of this. I love his characters, they are always so perfectly written and he brings so much of himself to each of them, and yet I do not see them as Johnny Depp, but as the "look" of the character. The Mad Hatter and Edward Scissorhands are not the same man, and I think the makeup used helps to differentiate Depp's wild a wacky characters.
3 comments:
I hadn't thought before about the importance of makeup to helping performers themselves. I assumed that makeup wasn't being replaced yet by CGI partly because it is easier than digitally editing every scene, but I didn't ever think about how essential it is for character interaction for the characters to look how they will look on the final screen. It's like how it's more difficult for actors to interact with a CGI animal- they might be able to do it, but it's easier if they have something to look at. I'm glad that this art isn't so easily replaced by technology, and I hope it continues to be appreciated for a long time.
This is a really great article because honestly when I see a movie with Johnny Depp or other character actors I do pay keen attention to their makeup and the creature or person the actor, artists, and director have created. Edward Scissor hands is a great example of how the makeup must have been such a key component to getting Depp into the role. The pale face with scars and dark sunken eyes gave Edward the delicate features that make him seem like a sweet and innocent individual.
I, like Sarah, had not though about how makeup could change an actor's experience. For me, it was a way of them becoming the character so that I could see them as the character and not the actor. Though I will admit, that when I have not only worked with actors, but also dressed up myself, I have found that the wardrobe and makeup can completely transform the wearer. Seeing oneself as the character can make all the difference in how a character is portrayed. I think Johnny Depp is a perfect example of this. I love his characters, they are always so perfectly written and he brings so much of himself to each of them, and yet I do not see them as Johnny Depp, but as the "look" of the character. The Mad Hatter and Edward Scissorhands are not the same man, and I think the makeup used helps to differentiate Depp's wild a wacky characters.
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